High school football: No stopping Kirtland in regional final

Adam Hess runs in a touchdown in the first hald of the Hornets' 45-7 Division 6 regional final win over Mogadore Friday at Twinsburg Tiger Stadium.

TWINSBURG — There isn’t a train depot nearby, but Kirtland certainly made Twinsburg feel like one Friday in a Division VI regional final against Mogadore.
The Hornet Playoff Express — with stops in Kirtland, Hudson, Twinsburg and exciting destinations to be announced later — was running rampant against one of the premier small-school programs in Ohio.
Kirtland rushed for 286 yards on 20 carries in the first half and imposed its will on the ground in a thorough 45-7 win.
The Hornets (13-0) will take on Columbus Bishop Ready, a 48-21 winner over Newark Catholic, in a D-VI state semifinal next Friday at a site to be determined after their 64th victory since 2008 by more than 20 points.
“I think it’s a testament to our kids and their preparation and focus and the talent that they have,” Kirtland coach Tiger Laverde said. “We have a good thing going right now. We’ve had a good run.”
This run Friday night was a full sprint from the get-go.
On its opening possession, junior quarterback Sam Skiljan started with a 17-yard run, later carried 21 yards to the Mogadore 24 and finished off a seven-play, 72-yard march with a 12-yard scoring jaunt. Brad Hauptman’s extra point made it a 7-0 game.
After a Hauptman 27-yard field goal and Ryan Loncar interception, the Hornets regained possession at their own 49 and went on a scoring drive again that took all of three plays. Sam Kukura scored from 23 yards out, and at the end of the opening quarter, Kirtland was up, 17-0.
“The offensive line — their holes are unbelievable,” said Kukura, who had 13 carries for 201 yards and three touchdowns. “Like I’ve said from the beginning, they’re incredible. They make it easy on us running backs. It’s easy for us. They work hard every day, and they create huge holes for us.”
Kirtland erupted for 21 second-quarter points after a two-yard TD run by the Wildcats’ Bryce Huth to essentially ice another state final-four trip. Adam Hess twice pounded in from a yard out to sandwich a Kukura 35-yard run to pay dirt, sprung by an outstanding Canon Schroeder block downfield.
Just how dominant the Hornets were on the ground is evident from this: On its last scoring possession of the first half of five plays, 41 yards, Kirtland’s average per carry went down — from a little more than 11 yards to 10.6.
The Hornets closed the opening half against a three-time state champion with 51 playoff wins in program history with an astounding 10.2 yards per rush.
“You know what? It’s amazing, but that all happened over the last three years in the weight room,” Laverde said. “These kids have made a commitment to each other and to the team, and they really work extremely hard.
“This isn’t an accident. It’s a lot of time and effort and kids not wanting to let other kids down.”
Kirtland seemingly hasn’t let down for several seasons now, and the ride for this Hornet Playoff Express isn’t over just yet, with a much-anticipated showdown against Bishop Ready up next.
“Oh, we can’t wait,” Kukura said. “Everyone has been talking in our ear about Bishop Ready the whole season, and we haven’t really thought about it. Now, we’re excited to watch film on them and get to the next game.”

Note: Full audio interviews with Kukura and LaVerde can be found here.